Adjustable and refillable brush



April 29, 1941'. A. J. KRAMER ADJUSTABLE nn REEILLABLE BRUSH Filed July 13, 1939 amen vie! m, I i

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PAT? FFlCE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. i

This invention relates to tooth brushes, and one of its objects is the provision of a tooth brush which is adjustable, so that the contour of the brushes may be changed to fit both the inside and outside curvatures of the human teeth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tooth brush in which the brushes are refillable, so that it becomes unnecessary to purchase an entire new brush when bristles become worn or ineffective.

The following description, considered together with the accompanying drawing, will disclose this invention more fully, its constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts, and further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent.

In the drawing: I

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of this invention partly in section,

showing the brush holding member in alternate positions.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of yieldable brush holding member, without the brushes.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 3.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, in which like numerals designate like parts, this invention comprises a strip of suitable rigid material such as is ordinarily used in making tooth brushes, having at one end a curved head section 3, with a convex surface 4 on one side and a concave surface 5 on the other side. The remaining section 8 of the strip constitutes the handle of the device. The outer end of the curved head section 5 carries a recessed bearing 1, on which a collar 8 is 'rotatably mounted. Said collar 8 is held in place by means of a head screw 9, substantially as shown, or any other suitable means, the means shown being merely for the purpose of illustration. On the handle section 6 next to the curved section 3, another collar I0 is rotatably and slidably mounted, this portion of the handle section having a circular cross-section. The collar 10 is provided with a gripping surface, such as the knurled surface illustrated. An abutment shoulder H, for the collar I0, is

fixed to the handle section 6, at a suitable distance from the end of the curved section 3, substantially as shown. Each of the collar members 8 and I0 is provided with a longitudinal slot, l2 and I3 respectively, designed to receive the ends of a strip M, on which strip the bristles I5 are set. The strip i4 is of a resilient or yieldable material, such as spring steel, and is forced into the curved position illustrated by buckling it to bring its ends closer together, inserting the ends in the slots I2 and I3, respectively, and-releasing the strip, whereby the resilient action of the strip tends to straighten it and thus forces the ends outward against the collars 8 and I0. Shoulders l6 are provided on the sides at the middle of the convex surface 4 to hold the strip M from lateral movement. Similar shoulders I1 are provided on the sides of the concave surface 5. v

The operation of this invention is as follows: For brushing the inside surfaces of the teeth, the device is substantially as illustrated by thesolid lines, the strip 14 with its brush elements resting on top of the convex surface 4 between the shoulders l0. For brushing the outside surfaces of the teeth, the strip 14 rests against the concave surface 5 as illustrated by the broken lines. To change from the convex side 4 to the concave side 5 the collar [0 is moved to the left, as shown in Figure 1, on the cylindrical portion of the handle section 6 between the abutment shoulder I I and the curved section 3. Due to the fact that the strip I4 is yieldable, the center portion will buckle by virtue of this movement sufiiciently to clear the shoulders I6. In this position the collar I0 is turned until the brushes are opposite the concave surface 5. When in this position, the brushes are pressed inwardly toward the curved section 3, by virtue of which the yieldable member l4 snaps into place between the shoulders IT. The abutment shoulder ll prevents the strip l4 from moving out of position, when either on the convex side or concave side of the curved section 3, since the distance between the collars 8 and I0 is a fixed maximum. Should it be desired to return the brushes from the concave position to the convex position, the brushes are taken hold by the user and pulled outwardly, very little force being required for this. This may even be accomplished by the teeth of the operator. Then, the collar I D is again actuated to the left, as shown in Figure 1, and, while in that position, is rotated 180, after which it is released, permitting the member l4 to fall in place between the shoulders IE on the convex side. If desired, the brushes may be changed from one side to the other by removing the screw 9 and taking the collar 8 from its bearing I, turning it 180, and replacing it on its bearing.

Should the brushes become worn, the entire device does not have to be discarded. The bristles may be replaced by slipping the yieldable strip l4 out of the slots 12 and I3 and substituting a new one therefor. This may be facilitated by removing the screw 9 and slipping off the collar 8.

In the Figures 3 and 4 the modified form of the removable brush strip comprises a yieldable strip l8, on which the'bristles (not shown) are set. The ends of this strip l8 areeach hinged to a rigid strip [9 and 20 respectively, by means of pins 2| and 22, respectively. The ends 23 and 24 of the strips l9 and 2!], respectively, are recessed to fit into the slots l2 and I3 of the collar members 8 and 15!, respectively. This type of construction results in a better functioning of the device and produces less fatigue in the yieldable st ip.

It is to be understood that the curvature of the, curved section 3 need not be constant. If desired, a portion of it may be made straight or otherwise to fit diiTerent types of human teeth; such modifications being Within the spirit of this invention. It is also to be understood that, although this invention has been described as a brush for teeth, it is not limited to such use, but may be employed for brushes other than tooth brushes, such as hair brushes, clothes brushes, fruit and vegetable brushes, general utility brushes-and many others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

L'An adjustable brush comprising a handle and arcuated head section integral therewith, a collar rotatably mounted on the outer end of said head section, another collar rotatably and slidably mounted on said handle section, a resilient strip having each of its ends removably secured to one of said collars, said strip being adapted to conform to the curvatures of either side of said curved section, and means for holding said collars within a fixed maximum distance apart, optimum for seating said resilient strip on the sides of said head section.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a handle, a curved head integral therewith, a collar rotatably mounted on the outer end of said head,

another collar rotatably and slidably mounted on said handle, abutment means for limiting the slidable relation of said last-mentioned collar, and a resilient strip having bristles thereon removably disposed on said collars.

3. A device of the character described comprising a handle and an arcuated head section integral therewith; a resiliently bendable strip having bristles thereon mounted for revolution about said head section; and positive means for holding said strip in a rigid position on one side of said head section, and for releasing said strip from such rigid position and disposing it in a rim id position on the opposite side of the head section.

i. A device of the character described comprising a handle and an arcuated head section integral therewith; a resiliently bendable strip having-bristles thereon mounted for revolution about the longitudinal axis of the handle, abutments on the opposite .sides ofsaid head section for holding said strip in position laterally, and means for disassociating the strip from the abutments on one side of said head section and associating it with the abutments on the other side of said head section.

5. A device of the character described comprising a handle and an arcuated head section integral therewith; a. resiliently bendable strip having bristles thereon mounted for revolution about said head section; means for holding said strip in a rigid position on one side of said head section; and means for releasing said strip from said rigid position, revolving it about said head section, and securing it in a rigid position on the other side of said head section.

6. A device of the character described comprising a handle and an arcuated head section integral therewith; a collar rotatably mounted on the forward endof said head section, another collar rotatably mounted on said handle section adjacent said head section, said last-mentioned collar being also longitudinally slidable on a portion of said handle section, a resiliently bendable strip disposed on saidhead section, said strip having its ends securedto said collars, abutment means associated with said head section for holding said strip in position laterally, and bristles secured on the outer side of said strip.

ALBERT J. KRAMER. 

